Compare towns

Barre vs Dummer vs Bennington

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Dummer has the most homeowners (94.2%).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

MeasureBarreDummerBennington
People
Population
8,412
299Lowest
15,249Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
-6.2%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
—
-2.7%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
42.2±6.6Lowest
8% above U.S.
53.6±6.4Highest
38% above U.S.
44.7±2.3
15% above U.S.
Kids under 18
13.5%±3.8Lowest
U.S.: 22%
19.4%±5.1Highest
U.S.: 22%
17.7%±2.3
U.S.: 22%
Dummer and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
19.4%±3.9Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
21.4%±4.6
U.S.: 17.2%
25.2%±2.8Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
Bennington and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
36.1%
U.S.: 35.7%
16.9%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
36.9%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.4%±1.9
U.S.: 6.4%
0%±5.7Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
5.8%±1.6Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$65,625±$7k
19% below U.S.
$91,250±$21kHighest
13% above U.S.
$59,446±$7kLowest
26% below U.S.
Dummer and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$210,400±$15kLowest
37% below U.S.
$242,200±$51kHighest
27% below U.S.
$213,300±$15k
36% below U.S.
Dummer and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,093±$58Lowest
23% below U.S.
—
$1,133±$63Highest
20% below U.S.
Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$5,192Highest
66% above U.S.
$2,898Lowest
7% below U.S.
$4,513
45% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
34.4%±10.3
U.S.: 51.1%
0%±100Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
68.8%±14.1Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line
17.3%Highest
U.S.: 12.5%
9%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
13.2%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
50.4%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
94.2%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
58.4%
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1947Lowest
33 yrs older than U.S.
1977Highest
3 yrs older than U.S.
1961
19 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
19 min
30% below U.S.
25 minHighest
5% below U.S.
17 minLowest
35% below U.S.
Work from home
10.5%±4.1
U.S.: 15.1%
6.8%±4.4Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
15.1%±4.4Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #19 of 70 in VT — #58 of 70 in VT
School district Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center — Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87
High school in town Spaulding Union High School — Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school
10.7Lowest
—
14.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History None yet None yet None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.